![Have You Ever Noticed These Creepy Faces on the Kalamazoo Gazette Building?](http://townsquare.media/site/748/files/2016/12/kalamazoo-gazette-gargoyles.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Have You Ever Noticed These Creepy Faces on the Kalamazoo Gazette Building?
Kalamazoo's downtown landscape is changing thanks to Bronson Healthcare tearing down a portion of the former Kalamazoo Gazette building to make way for expansion of hospital faculties. Fortunately, the oldest part of the Gazette building, including these creepy faces, isn't going anywhere.
The faces, which include people and animals, are gargoyles. In architectural terms, a gargoyle is a stone face that funnels water away from the roof or side of a building. Why do they have weird and sometimes creepy faces? The tradition goes back to Catholic churches in the Dark Ages,
Most of the population at this time were illiterate, and therefore images were very important to convey ideas. Many early gargoyles depicted some version of a dragon, especially in France. In addition to serving as spouts for water, the gaping mouths of these gargoyles evoked the fearsome destructiveness of these legendary beasts, reminding the laity of the need for the church's protection.
Below are some of the gargoyles and grotesques that appear on the Kalamazoo Gazette building.
BONUS VIDEO - Hidden Kalamazoo: The Chase Building
More From Kalamazoo's Country
![Professional Cuddlers Are In Demand And We Have One Here In Kalamazoo](http://townsquare.media/site/689/files/2016/12/RS15981_124820016.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Garth Brooks Donating Money From Album Sales to St. Jude](http://townsquare.media/site/204/files/2016/12/garth-brooks-st-jude-donation.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Top 3 Best Places To Go Ice Skating Outside In West Michigan](http://townsquare.media/site/689/files/2016/12/RS5698_139616107.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Reba McEntire (Feat. Kelly Clarkson, Trisha Yearwood), ‘Softly and Tenderly’ [Listen]](http://townsquare.media/site/204/files/2016/12/Reba-Gospel-Single.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Burger King Will Let You Swap Bad Christmas Gifts for Whoppers](http://townsquare.media/site/341/files/2016/12/BK.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Country Tours Hitting the Road in 2017](http://townsquare.media/site/204/files/2016/12/luke-bryan-tim-mcgraw-faith-hill-miranda-lambert.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Country Weddings & Engagements in 2016](http://townsquare.media/site/204/files/2016/10/tyler-farr-raelynn-randy-houser.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Reba McEntire Announces Gospel Album, Ryman Show Via Facebook Live](http://townsquare.media/site/204/files/2016/12/reba-mcentire-facebook-announcement.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![If the Characters of ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ Were Michigan Cities](http://townsquare.media/site/690/files/2016/12/clark-griswold.png?w=980&q=75)